It’s the end of the week, and past time to get out of the office. When was the last time you felt the sun warm your skin, or heard the leaves in the trees? How long has it been since you took a long walk, or stopped to notice the flower pots hanging from the lampposts near your office? If you looked at the calendar, how many days would it be since you last ate lunch away from your desk? |
With school activities, heady work schedules, family obligations, and holidays around the corner, it’s easy for our time outside to become more limited. In the summer, we make time to stay outside for one more scoop of ice cream, one more cannonball into the lake, and a long, leisurely dinner on the patio. But as we move toward fall, the days start getting shorter, and there just doesn’t seem to be enough time—not to mention enough daylight—to do more than jump in the car, get where you need to go, and get back home again.
Today is your day to reclaim your time outside.
Ask to sit outside at the restaurant instead of taking the seat indoors.
Take your afternoon coffee and sit on your front steps instead of at your desk.
Have dinner on an old blanket on the lawn (bonus points if you make s’mores).
Invite friends (or people you'd like to be friends with, hello PCS) and make it a potluck. Play board games, play tag like you're still ten, and don't go inside until you've seen the stars come out.
If you’re still getting to know your new town, take this as an opportunity to check out a nearby park or a food truck—you might find your new favorite place.
But that list isn’t really going anywhere. Set it aside, leave your phone in the house, take time out for #nationaleatoutsideday, and the people you love best. Remind yourself that it will all get done, that you have what it takes—and that chances are, you’ll feel even better once you’ve had a chance to unwind.
Story by Emilie Duck